Ohio State baseball: Pitcher operates well following surgery

Andrew Armstrong knew something was wrong with his left shoulder the winter of his sophomore year.

Andrew Armstrong knew something was wrong with his left shoulder the winter of his sophomore year.

His fastball, which had been clocked as high as 92 mph by Ohio State coaches, dropped into the low 80s.

That 2009 season should have been one of joy for him because the Buckeyes won the Big Ten regular-season championship. Armstrong, though, gave up 68 hits in 402/3 innings and had an 11.51 ERA.

"Everybody was asking me, 'What's wrong with you?'" said Armstrong, a redshirt junior from Bridgewater, Va. "It hurt to even wash my hair. It hurt to raise my left arm over my head, and one of those things was throwing a ball. I was taking 800 milligrams of ibuprofen a day."

In July, a visit with nationally known orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews revealed the worst: Armstrong had a torn labrum and wouldn't be throwing anytime soon after surgery.

"I was told it was like a death sentence for a pitcher," he said. "They told me there was no guarantee I'd pitch again even after rehab."

Armstrong went at rehabilitation as if it were the bottom of the ninth. He has returned as a vital member of Ohio State's bullpen with a 1-0 record and 3.15 ERA in 21 appearances going into the opener of a three-game series against Michigan tonight in Bill Davis Stadium.

The Buckeyes (16-18) and Wolverines (13-25) are both 6-6 in the Big Ten and share fourth place with Indiana, Minnesota and Illinois- one game behind co-leaders Purdue, Penn State and Michigan State.

Armstrong, who took a medical redshirt year in 2010, credits coach Greg Beals and pitching coach Mike Stafford for pushing him through the mental barriers.

"The coaches worked my butt off," he said. "I had a breakthrough in early February. One day I said I was just going to throw the heck out of the ball and see what happened. To get to the next level I said, 'OK, I can do this.'"

Stafford was blunt with Armstrong, saying he had to find out if the rehabilitation worked.

"We challenged him," Stafford said. "We told him that he was healthy and that he had to find out if he could pitch again. It's no different than a running back in football (who) worries about making that first cut after knee surgery."

Beals told Armstrong that he had done everything possible to make a successful comeback.

"Andrew was in better shape. He was stronger," he said. "He wasn't having any more pain. It was time to let go. It was time to go for it."

Armstrong is throwing his fastball between 87 mph and 91 mph. He also throws a curve and change-up.

Beals has been using Armstrong against left-handed batters when the Buckeyes are tied or ahead late in a game. He has struck out 27, and opponents are batting .205 against him.

"Andrew is a guy we have a lot of confidence in," Stafford said.

He's also a player who has made the transition from starter to reliever without many problems.

"I was an OK starter," Armstrong said. "This is a completely different role. I like the possibility of pitching in every game. I'm more mentally prepared."